InternetSafety.com

The Jessamine County school district in Kentucky will launch a unique program in the fall to teach middle-schoolers and high-schoolers about the dangers of online predators. The initiative is part of the federal omnibus stimulus bill, and this program was secured in an earmark by U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY).

The game, Missing,  will follow a young man named Zachary Taylor after he connects with a stranger referred to only as “Fantasma” over the internet. When young Zach Taylor goes missing, the students are asked to put together clues as to his disappearance, and in doing so, hopefully learn valuable lessons about online safety.

If this program is successful, it could develop into a learning tool that could easily be deployed at middle and high schools nationwide.

Here are some tell-tale signs that your child could have become involved with a stranger online:

• Your child spends an unusual amount of time online, especially in the evenings. Sometimes children, especially if they’re home alone for extended periods, can become drawn into the social life that chat rooms and Instant Messaging offer. If this is the case, find out who they’re talking to and what chat rooms they’re visiting. While predators can be online at any hour, they are particularly active in the evenings.
• Your child withdraws from family or friends. Sexual predators pull children closer to them by pushing them away from family and friends. Children also tend to become withdrawn after being sexually victimized either physically or verbally.
• Your child receives phone calls from strangers. Many predators prefer phone conversations. A predator may ask the child to call collect, and when the child calls, the predator records the phone number through caller ID. A quick phone number search using any basic search engine could also reveal your child’s home address. Internet monitoring software can alert you to personal information being posted online, such as your phone number or address.

Filed under: Internet Safety News